Wool cleaning and scouring apparatus



Sept. 16, 1930. H. s. HOWELLET AL WOOL CLEANING AND SCOURING APPARATUS zsums-sum 1 Filed Dec. 2'7, 1929 Sept. 16, 1930. ow L ET AL WOOL CLEANINGAND scounme APPARATUS Filed Dec. 27, 1929 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Patented Sept.16, 1930 UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE HAROLD ertnnnrson HOWELL, onHASTINGS, Ann THOMAS REGINALD HOWELL, on NAPIER, new znnnnnn WOOLCLEANING AND soonnINe APPARATUS Application filed December avrieas,Serial No.

This invention has been devised with the object of providing means forthe cleaning effected in which the natural greases of the wool areretained while dirt and strains and foreigncolouring matters areremoved. The method concerned also provides for a cheap and quickoperation ascompared with the methods now generally in use. a

The invention is of particular adaptation to the treatment of dags ordag wool, e. those portions of the 'fieece shorn from the hind quartersand tangled and stained with the sheeps ordure)v in order to recover thewool therefrom and at the same time to re move dirt and stain from thewool.

The invention comprises as. its essential feature the use of apparatusconstructed to subject the wool while it is being fedby means of waterjets along a surface, to a seriesof repeated heating or pounding actionsobtained by the use of heaters ers acting thereon. p 1

This operation may follow an initial treat ment in which the wool isfirst steeped in clear water for 'a period, to soften the foreignmatters mingled therewith, and is subse quently passed through between aseries of crushing rollers, whilebeing subjected to the force of jets ofwater directed thereon, for the purpose of crushingup' all such foreignmatters, to render them more readily separable in the beating orpounding operations.

or stamp The invention may be given efi'ectto by the employment ofapparatus of any approved design having the said actions upon the wooland itis not intended thatlit shall beconfined to any'particular designof ap paratus. 1

In the accompanying drawings there is shown, in diagrammatic form,apparatus suitable for giving elfect to the invention. In suchdrawings:- Figure l is a side elevation ofthe heating or poundingmachine.

F igure2 is an end elevation, and Figure 3 a horizontal sectionalthereof.

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively side elevaview 41 s,se4, and. in NewZealand August 20, 1928.

ing rollers and water jets suitable for the initial crushing treatmentwhen such is required.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional'view showing the arrangement of Figs.4 and-5 associated with the beating or pounding machine.

In the apparatus shown. in Figures. 1 to 3,a long narrow trough A ofapproved depth, width and length, is provided, and arrangedhorizontally. This trough 'is made with a firm bottom, and with sidewalls arranged vertically parallel, the whole being suitablybraced andstrengthened to form-a firm structure. A number of stamper blocks B arefitted into the trough to move up and down between its sides, theseblocks being madeof suitable material, and being spaced at regulardistances apart along the trough length. The said blocks B are connectedto means whereby they will be raised a distance and dropped on to thetrough bottom, in reg ular order, in seriesfrom the'inlet to theoutletend of the trough.-

The means for effecting the movementsof I the blocks, as shown, comprisetheattachment of each block, to the lower end of a ver tical rod C thatis carried in guides upon a. framing 'D so that it may slide' freely up.

and down, but-is kept normally down by means of a compression spring Esurrounding its upper end. A'tappet F is fixed upon I each rod Q and acam shaft G is mounted to extend horizontally in the framingalongside Jthe several rods. On this shaft a camI-I is fixed for each tappet, suchcam being constructed to engage the tappet and lift it and i then tofree it so that it may drop, in a manner well known in ordinarystamperconstruction. The rod and block as they fall in each case, havethe.strength of the spring E imparted to them, so that the block engages thesuch strength and the-Weight the trough sides immediately above thelevel" of the troughbottomwat an angle-inclining bottom of the trough Awith an -impa'ot deinwards and in the direction of the delivery end ofthe trough. These enter from both sides and are preferably disposed inpairs (one pair between each two stamper blocks) so that theyconcentrate the jets issuing therefrom along the centre line of thetrough and to pass beneath the Stamper block in front when it lifts.

These nozzles are connected with a water supply service designed toprovide for the jets issuing therefrom at high pressure, and" for thispurpose may be combined with any. high pressure source.

In the operation of this apparatus, the wool is fed into the feed end ofthe trough A by any suitable method providing for it passing evenly andcontinuously, and is acted upon by the'water jets to be carried alongthe trough bottom while bein continuously sluiced by the water, thestampers at the same time rising to permit the wool to pass and droppingto stamp or pound it between them and the trough bottom. This combinedstamping or pounding action, and washing or sluicing action, willthereforeact upon the 'wool to scour it and free it from foreign dirtand colouring matters and stains. If desired, the water supplied to thenozzles, or to some of them, may contain chemical bleaching agents ofknown and. approved nature, or

cleansingand scouring agents, to act upon the wool.

The apparatus thus described is adapted for dealing with all classes ofwool, the pe riod of treatment being governed by the force and size ofthe water jets, and the rate at which the stampers are actuated and alsoby the length of the trough and thenumber of stampers. Water and dirtare allowed to escape from the trough at points between thestampers, byproviding side draining channels K in the trough bottom which channelsare covered by suitably perforated platesM. 1

When the apparatus isgrequire'd. to deal with dags or, dag wooland'like-classes of wool, such wool should be treated initially bysoaking in vats containing clean water, and then passing it through aseries ofcrushing rollers while subjected to jets of high pressure waterdirected thereon and carrying the wool across perforated drainmg tablesThe individual pairs of rollers may be geared to be driven in oppositedirections.

Combined with the rollers and table are water nozzles P disposed todeliver jets of water at an incline downward and inwards uponthe tableat approved points along it, such as below each pair of rollers. Thesenozzles are connected up with a high pressure supply source so that thestreams of water directed on to the apparatus are such as to effectuallyfeed the Wool, delivered on to the upper end of the table, down throughthe several sets of rollers in turn, and at-the same time to sluice thewooltojfree it from foreign matters, as dirt, which is strained offthrough the perforated table.

The table O will be arranged to deliver the wool passing from its lowerend, directly into the trough A of the stamping or pounding apparatus sothat the-operation is carried on in sequence and without any handling ofthe material between the two treatments.

.Ve (claim 1 WVool. cleaning and scouring means, comprising incombination an inclined perforated table along which the wool is fed, aseries of crushing rollers adjacent the table and adapted to operateupon the wool as it is fed along the table,a surface to receive the woolfrom the inclined table, a series of stampers disposed above saidsurface and operable to stamp the'wool passing thereunder, and nozzlesdirected upon said inclined table and surface to deliver jets or streamsof water thereupon. f

2. Wool cleaningand scouring means comprising in combination astationarysurface along which :the, wool is fed, a series of stampersmounted above said surface, means for causing said stampers to rise-andto drop" upon said surface, and means comprising a number of nozzlesprojecting toward one edge of said surface to direct jets of washingwater upon said surface, to feed the wool along the surface beneath thestampers.

3. W001 cleaning and scouring means comprising the combination of astationary surface along which the woolis adapted to be fed, a series ofstampers mounted above said surface, means normally urging said stamperstowards said surface, means for raising'said stampers and releasing themto rapidly re.- turn to the surface under the influence ofsaid urgingmeans, and-means comprising nozzles projecting towards one edge of saidsurface to direct jets of water uponsaidsurface to cause the woolthereon to be fed alongthe surface beneath the stampers.

tures. HAROLD GHJBERTSON HOWELL. THOMAS REGINALD. HOWELL; v

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signa-

